Would You Accept Digital Proof of Insurance?

In regards to a traffic stop, would you accept digital proof of insurance? For example, the driver pulling up his or her auto insurance policy on a smart phone? My insurance company for example (USAA), has an app that allows one to see auto policies at the touch of a button. Would elimenate having decades worth of expired insurance but no current proof during a traffic stop.

Yep. Our statute states one must present evidence of financial responsibility. It does not say it has to be a small card mailed to you. We will accept any reasonable evidence that you have current insurance.

"No one is compelled to choose the profession of a police officer, but having chosen it, everyone is obligated to perform its duties and live up to the high standards of its requirements." ~ President Calvin Coolidge

Heh, that's all before my time, but I looked at Oregon's and it only says you have to display proof of insurance when asked by a police officer. It doesn't specify a paper document though.

I was ​always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps ​getting harder to find one.

Originally Posted by Cat_Doc

You just gotta realize he is hard of hearing and cranky, and try to speak up more clearly next time and make it perfectly clear what you were saying so there is no misinterpretation. You gotta try not to get mad at the old guy, recognizing the issue at hand.

In regards to a traffic stop, would you accept digital proof of insurance? For example, the driver pulling up his or her auto insurance policy on a smart phone? My insurance company for example (USAA), has an app that allows one to see auto policies at the touch of a button. Would elimenate having decades worth of expired insurance but no current proof during a traffic stop.

Absolutely, I have USAA myself so I for sure would know yours is legit.

I have Progressive, and while the app does show what is essentially an insurance card there is a disclaimer on the bottom that it does not constitute proof of insurance as required by law. I personally wouldn't care and would accept that, but I'm sure not everyone would. Obviously the information on a smartphone is probably going to be more current than a printed card. I've stopped plenty of people without insurance who still have a valid card. They've gotten their policies cancelled after the card was printed.

Only problem for you is that if you want to use it as proof of ins, I'm taking your phone back to my car. Im not going to stand at your car reading it and be distracted if the driver chose to attack me.

Pittsburgh Pirates- 1st place NL Central 7/15/11

They've got us surrounded? Good. Now we can fire in any direction, those bastards wont get away this time

An amateur will train until they get it right. A professional will train until they can't get it wrong.

Only problem for you is that if you want to use it as proof of ins, I'm taking your phone back to my car. Im not going to stand at your car reading it and be distracted if the driver chose to attack me.

This is why I wouldn't accept it. With another couple of reasons.

In Connecticut the law specifies that you must carry it with you and it must be available for me to take in hand. Handing me an electronic device with what could be (for all I know) a JPG of a Photoshopped insurance document is not sufficient.

Another issue for me would be: If you tried to hand me your wallet with your license in it I would refuse to take it and would ask you again to just give me your license, registration, and insurance ID card. Just like there is no way I would ever take someone's wallet from them and carry it back to my car, there is no way I"m going to take someone's iPhone (or whatever) from them and carry it back to my car. Even if I didn't actually drop it and break it, or spill coffee on it, or whatever, the mope in the car getting the ticket could easily claim that I did and I would pretty much have to prove I didn't.

I stick to having them hand me their license, registration, and insurance ID card. I won't take anything else from them.

I guess it's pretty cool, but I wouldn't be able to help myself and question it's authenticity.

It's a non-issue for me. Mass insurance reports real-time to the RMV. No insurance = a listing in CJIS that it's uninsured. I don't care what's in hand. The CJIS queries are the only thing I use to determine insured / uninsured status.

I guess it's pretty cool, but I wouldn't be able to help myself and question it's authenticity.

It's a non-issue for me. Mass insurance reports real-time to the RMV. No insurance = a listing in CJIS that it's uninsured. I don't care what's in hand. The CJIS queries are the only thing I use to determine insured / uninsured status.

I wish PA would do this. Anyone can cancel insurance the next day and they still have the card, and PennDOT takes way to long to suspend plates for insurance cancellation.

I guess it's pretty cool, but I wouldn't be able to help myself and question it's authenticity.

It's a non-issue for me. Mass insurance reports real-time to the RMV. No insurance = a listing in CJIS that it's uninsured. I don't care what's in hand. The CJIS queries are the only thing I use to determine insured / uninsured status.

CO does the same, but only at the time of registration. So it could show "insured" if the owner presented proof of insurance at the time of registration/renewal, but wouldn't show if they cancelled it the next day.

Pittsburgh Pirates- 1st place NL Central 7/15/11

They've got us surrounded? Good. Now we can fire in any direction, those bastards wont get away this time

An amateur will train until they get it right. A professional will train until they can't get it wrong.